The Hunter Watson Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that Emma Rothman has agreed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of Hunter’s Fund.
Hunter’s Fund supports promising young people who have a passionate interest in something but cannot explore it without some financial support. Hunter’s Fund also supports safe driving programs with the help of volunteers on school campuses.
Emma is a recent graduate of Syracuse University where she was extensively involved with the Blackstone LaunchPad as a Todd B. Rubin Innovation Mentor, LaunchPad Global Fellow and a civic engagement intern. In these roles, she came to know Hunter’s Fund and was named the Hunter Watson Scholar for the 2019 – 2020 academic year. Since then, she has contributed her time and knowledge to Hunter’s Grants, going above and beyond to review and improve the Hunter’s Grants applications.
“With significant previous nonprofit experience and her continued commitment to Hunter’s Fund, we are confident Emma will be an invaluable addition to our Board of Directors,” said Laurel Holmes, program manager of the Hunter Watson Memorial Fund. “We salute Emma’s decision to serve the mission of Hunter’s Fund and carry out the wishes of our supporters.”
The love his family and friends had for Hunter as well as the pain they felt after his death inspired them to start Hunter’s Fund. They hoped to use this organization to celebrate Hunter’s life and interests and give back to other young people. The Fund gives grants to young individuals in the performing arts, music, computer science, and entrepreneurship- the areas that inspired Hunter daily. The fund also actively works to raise awareness about distracted driving to ensure that other young drivers are safe behind the wheel. You can learn more about the fund, how to help the cause, and Hunter at the Hunter Brooks Watson website.
Hunter’s Fund has supported many student innovators, including a number of Syracuse University student startups.
In addition, the Hunter Watson Memorial Fund sponsors an annual “Spirit of Entrepreneurship” at Syracuse University. Each year at the Syracuse University Raymond von Dran iPrize undergraduate and graduate students compete for one of four $2,500 prizes. Winners are chosen by members of Hunter’s Fund in recognition of their embodiment of “the spirit of entrepreneurship.” To learn more about past winners, visit the Hunter Brooks Watson website.
The Hunter Watson Memorial Fund also supports a Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar each academic year at Syracuse University’s Blackstone LaunchPad. Being a Hunter Brooks Watson Scholar means getting to know Hunter and having the opportunity to embody Hunter through his entrepreneurial spirit. The yearly scholarship is given to a student who exemplifies Hunter’s same passion for entrepreneurship. The scholarship is modeled after the Syracuse Remembrance Scholar program. Students are selected by a university panel. To learn more about past scholars visit the Hunter Brooks Watson website.
Hunter Brooks Watson was a Syracuse University iSchool student who passed away in June of 2016 in a distracted driving accident. Hunter had a diverse set of interests and hobbies. The smile and energy he carried with him couldn’t be ignored and was always felt by those who surrounded him. Hunter had a love for sports, his family and friends, and music- starting his first band, Black Out, at age 10. His “go get them” attitude mixed with his love of music inspired him to work with local nightclubs to host teen-only nights that he would manage and promote. Before the accident, Hunter had even begun working on his own tech company.
Learn more: www.hunterwatson.org